HELP! Non WW question but information is important...long post

My sister is 26, she weighs probably 300-350. She was diagnosed with PCOS and insulin resistance. She see numerous specialists. During her gyn appointment they noted some heart arithmias. So she was reffered to a Family Physician (until now she did not ahev one, just a group of specialists) and scheduled for an EKG. The EKG was normal. The family doctor she was refferred to is going to be board certified next month in bariatric weight loss management and is already board certified in family practice. So she is a real MD. But she has recommended weekly injections, appetite suppresants (hollistic stuff), low glycemic meal plan and exercise 20-30 min 4 times a week. The exercise and the low glycemic nutrtion make sense. I am a little worried about the injections and the hollistic supplements.

Here's what sent up BIG REDflags for me she said patients that are diabetic and prediabetic lose about 13-15 pounds a month on her program (for those who are my sisters weight) and non diabetics have lost up to 27 pounds a month. These injections are of adenosine. This is what the pamphlet from the dr. said:

Adenosine is a naturally occuring protein that is involved in the process of energy production and proper fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Adenosine injections were initially used to treat chronic fatigue. However, it was noticed that these patients were losing body fat and had decreased edema. Further research discovered that adenosine causes fat cells to release stored fat to be burned as energy. THe majority of patients report a decrease in weight and an increase in energy. THis is why the injections of adenosine are the foundation of this weight loss program. The more doctors used adenosine it was discovered that the addition of vitamin B12 and B Complex enhanced both weight loss and energy production effect of the adenosine

I understand my sister has not seen a dr. specifically for weight loss, though it has been discussed with each of her specialists. I also understand PCOS and insulin resistance are complex. But everyone of her doctors have told her weight loss is imperitive. Why then have NONE recomended this Adeonisine? Why can't we find any solid information on it online? If it is so great why isn't it being used more?

So my question is have any of you heard of it? Do you know how to find out if it has been FDA approved for weight loss. If this dr. is perscribing it for that is she stepping over the bounds or doing anything unethical? Where can you find reliable information about drugs? Anything I find online is "who doo quick weightloss let us sell you something stuff". Or where they are using Adenosine triphosphate to increase the bulk of cancer patients.

My sister is scheduled to see her endocrinologist, and a cardiologist soon. Before injections begin. She is so over weight this is life and death. She is considering surgery but if this non surgical method works then great. Seems a bit "witch doctory" to me. Then again this lady is a doctor I am not.

I have a scanned copy of the pamphlet but it is too large to attach.

I am really concerned for her. Is this the real miricle we're looking for or is it just another scam? How do you find medical research done on a drug? Anybody ever take for CFS? So many questions and so few answers.

Hmm. :-/ I would definitely ask for a second opinion from a doctor specializing in weight loss. If there were such a thing, who would ever pay for liposuction or gastric bypass? If she can not afford a second opinion, perhaps you could arrange to have a meeting with the doctor where she could go over the hazards and why no one has heard of it before and such?

Misty, the only thing I have ever heard about adenosine is that it's used to keep cancer patients from losing too much weight. If that is the case, how then can it also be used to help obese patients lose weight? The second opinion is really the only way to go, I think. Does anyone in your family have a trusted doctor that they see who might be able to provide insight into this? I understand that a lot of great cures for all kinds of things are right there, on the fringe of mainstream, conventional medicine. But there are also a lot of dangerous things as well. I would be very hesitant to even consider the injections before giving the diet and exercise time to work. If your sister can take it seriously and stick to it, then I would suggest that she do just that and see what she can accomplish on her own before anyone injects her with anything.

Yeah teh whole thing is weird. Thanks though, so it's just not me who thinks it's sketchy. See I live in PA and my sister lives in NC. So it's not like I can go with her or anything. Here's another weird thing....it's not covered by ins. My sister thinks it's weird too, so it's not like she's super gullable. It's just diets and exercise haven't workde for her. She had a specialist tell her that they won't, it needs to be combined with medication in the right amounts. Well it's been over a year and they still can't get the meds right. She's just not bennefittingf rom them. She is seriously considering surgery. Weird. I told her to talk to all of her doctors.

Rereading, it seems like it was the first time your sister had seen that doctor? Definitely think a second opinion would do a lot of good to confirm if the recommended course of action is legitimate and safe.

Yeah, I'm just putting in my vote for getting another opinion... OR, if she feels like she trusts this doctor, maybe just scheduling another appointment and telling the doc she has some concerns before she tries this.

As my siggy line shows, I have recently been diagnosed with IR/PCOS myself. (That's why I started trying to lose weight, and how I found 3FFC.) There's an entire forum here on 3FC just for PCOS/IR under "Support"-- you might want to cross-post this message there and see if anyone there has any information for you.

My sister had an appointment with the cardiologist and everythings eemed normal. She has a stress test today. She mentioned the injections and the program to the cardiologist and he seemed to have no concerns. Some of his otehr patients are on teh same program with the same doctor.

My siste rlives in teh research trianlge of NC, where alot of teh cutting edge medical advances take place. SO maybe this is just something so new it's not main streamed. Still seems a bit fishy to me though.

Wow Misty...I'm so sorry this has happened to your sister! That's such a frightening wake-up call. But I'd agree with the others who suggest a second opinion. I'm sorry to say I don't know much about medical weight loss treatments, so I can't really offer much more advice than that. I hope that website works out for you.

~Amanda

__________________Christmaschallenge!!--lose 10 pounds by 12.25.05

Lifetime Goal!

"Our doubts are traitors, which makes us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt."
~Measure for Measure, I.iv.77-79

Hate to sound like a broken record, but I would definately encourage her to get a second opinion - it will not hurt a thing to do that AND should put both of you at ease knowing you've done your homework before committing to anything.

..........mara

__________________SW: 260 on 6/6/05 CW: 246.1 7/18/05

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